Machine for



Jan. 24, 1956 J. E. ANNEN 2,732,114

MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS Filed May 14, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. Mamas z. fl/ma/r Jan. 24, 1956 J. E. ANNEN 2,732,114

MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS Filed May 14, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 'IIIHH I N V EN TOR. W/We [T fi/Wnw Jan. 24. 1956 J. E. ANNEN 2,732,114

MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS Filed May 14, 1951 6 Sheets-Shget 5 f/a. 5 A96 IN V EN TOR.

Mag: 4. /7/7/7/7 Jan. 24, 1956 J. E. ANNEN 2,732,114

MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS Filed May 14, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 M? W HF W w J l I I I/ I N V EN TOR. MEI/77a: f fl/r/ra/ WM f Jan. 24, 1956 J. E. ANNEN 2,732,114

MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS Filed May 14, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 h, EM

J. E. ANNEN Jan. 24, 1956 MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS Filed May 14, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet llll /0/ INVEN'I'OR.

MACHINE FOR FILLING AND CAPPING PAPER CARTONS James E. Annen, Kalamazoo, Micln, assignor to Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application May 14, 1951, Serial No. 226,161

10 Claims. ((1226-75) This invention relates to improvements in a machine for filling and capping paper cartons. I

The principal objects of the invention are:

First, to provide a novel and eflicient form of machine for filling paper cartons with either dry, fiuid, or semifluid materials such as ice cream, and capping the filled cartons, which machine will automatically deliver the cartons and covers to the filling and capping mechanism in properly timed relation and in proper position and which will further deliver the covers from economical bulk stocks of the covers. 1

Second, to provide a machine for automatically aligning and compressing the top of a paper carton into a flanged paper cover without damage to the cover or carton.

Third, to provide a machine for capping paper cartons which will guide the tops of the cartons for capping paper cartons which will guide the tops of the cartons into the flanges of paper covers regardless of minor deformities or irregularities in the flanges of the covers.

Fourth, to provide a machine for automatically sorting and delivering flanged paper covers from an irregular mass of covers with the delivered covers all facing in the same downwardly opening position.

Fifth, to provide cover feeding mechanism for a capping machine which will permit paper covers of the flanged variety to be shipped and delivered into the machine in economical irregularly packed bulk form and without requiring hand sorting to place all of the covers in the same upright position.

Sixth, to provide a capping machine in which a filled paper carton is threaded axially into properly aligned, nesting position Within a downwardly flanged paper cover and pressed tightly against-the inner sideof-the cover in acontinuous motion.- g

Other objects and advantages of mymachine will be apparent from a consideration ofthe following description and claims. g

The drawings, of which there are six sheets; illustrate a preferred form of my machine.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine partially broken away to illustrate portions of the mechanism thereof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine with the charging hopper for the material to bc packagedbroken away in cross section. The;vie'w is broken intwo sections with the lower portion forming a continuation of'the right end of the upper portion as indicated by the broken lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross sectional view through the cover sorting and feeding portion of the machine taken along the plane of the line 3+3 in Figs. 2, and 6. 1

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view through the carton capping portion of the machine taken along the plane of the line -4- -4in-Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical cross sectional view through the cover sorting mechanism taken. along the plane of the line 5-5 in Figs. 1 and 3.

r 2,732,114 C Patented Jan. 24,. 1955 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view through the cover sorting drum taken along the plane of the line 6-6 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical cross sectional view through the carton capping. portion. of the machine illustrating a carton in partially advanced and incompletely capped position.

My machine is designed to operate with the familiar type of heavy paper carton 1 of truncated conical shape having a cylindrical upper rim 2 and a recessed bottom 3 leaving an annular flange 4 around the bottom of the carton. The covers for application to the conical cartons are also well known and consist of circular paper covers 5 having downturned annular flanges 6. The flanges 6 fit snugly around the rims 2 of the cartons and it has heretofore been necessary to carefully and usually manually align the flanges with the rims to prevent damage to one or the other when the covers are pressed onto the car tons. Where automatic meanshave been attempted for applying the covers to the cartons no provision has been made for sorting the covers to the same upright position so that it has been necessary for manufacturers of the covers to package them in sorted aligned stacks. As will be more particularly described, this machine permits the covers to be received in helter-skelter bulk mass thus eliminating the expense of sorting or aligning the covers.

The machine is highly desirable for packaging semifluid materials such as unfrozen ice cream or cottage cheese or the like and a charging or filling mechanism is incorporated along the carton conveyor. The specific details of the filling mechanism forms no part of the present invention and so the filling mechanism is illustrated in general form only. For the purposes of description the machine may be considered as having a back side illustrated in Fig. 1 with the front side opposite and with a front end located at the left in Fig. 1 where the cartons are delivered into the machine. The rear end of the machine then includes the cover reception and sorting mechanism and the capped cartons are delivered to the front side of the machine and directed therealong toward the rear end of the machine.

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE MACHINE AND THE FLOW OF CARTONS AND CAPS THERETHROUGH The various elements of the machine are connected and supported by a suitable framework but since the particular details of the framework can be varied considerably no detailed description of the framework will be given except wherein certain parts thereof are directly connected to the several operating elements. As is generally illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the machine consists of a horizontal way 7 along which the cartons are advanced by a conveyor 8 having reciprocable and oscillatable arms 9. The containers may be delivered to the conveyor by any suitable means, manual or automatic, after which the conveyor functions to advance the cartons to the right in Fig. 1 in a step by step fashion. Lo' cate'd over the intermediate portionof the conveyor is a loading mechanism IO-includiug a hopper 11 for the material to be packed in the container and a controllable discharge spout 12.

After passing the loading mechanism 10, the filled cartons are advanced to the capping mechanism generally indicated at 13. Here the individually filled cartons are capped and sealed by the covers 5. Thecovers are fed of covers all facing in the same direction to the upwardly feeding cover conveyor 17. The conveyor 17 elevates the covers to a downwardly inclined and spiral chute 18 so that covers are delivered in downwardly facing relation to the capping mechanism 13.

Power for operating the several elements of the machine is supplied by a motor 19 driving through a speed reducing gear mechanism 20 to the chain 21. The chain 21 drives a cross shaft 22 which in turn drives the upwardly extending chain 23 and a downwardly extending chain 24. The chain 23 operates through a sprocket 24 to drive the transverse cam shaft 25. The cam shaft 25 carries a cam drum 26 (see Fig. 4) and is also provided at its forward end with a bevel gear connection 27 to the longitudinally extending shaft 28. The forward end of the shaft 28 carries a cam wheel 29 for actuating the filler spout 12 by suitable linkage (not illustrated).

The conveyor 9 which is of the reciprocatory type is driven by the pivoted lever 30 actuated from the cam 31 on the cam shaft 25. The lever 30 is fixedly pivoted to the frame of the machine at 32 and has its upper end connected by the link 33 to the reciprocating drive rod 34 (see Fig. l) of the conveyor.

The downwardly extending chain 24 from the shaft 22 drives a cross shaft 35 connected by the bevel gear 36 to the longitudinally extending shaft 37. The shaft 37 carries a gear 38 for driving the carton sorting mechanism 16 as will be described.

Filling mechanism The conveyor 9 and its actuated bar 34 are reciprocated to advance the containers in a step by step fashion so that each successive carton 1 will be brought to rest underneath the discharge spout 12 of the loading mechanism 10. The cartons are supported during this travel by a plate 77 which forms the bottom of the way 7. Preferably I provided a vertically reciprocable plunger or elevator 78 that is projectable through the plate 77 for lifting the carton to be filled against the under side of the spout 12 while thecarton is being filled. This lifting is accomplished by a lever 79 (see Fig. l) actuated by a cam slot in the rear face of the cam wheel 29. If desired the elevator 78 may be provided with a spring loaded tappet 80 which projects from the lower end of the elevator in response tothe weight of a filled carton. The tappet 80 may be arranged to actuate a limit switch 81 and the switch 81 may be connected in the control circuit of the machine to prevent further operation of the machine if the carton has not received a full charge or load from the hopper 1.1.

Capping mechanism The filled cartons 1 are advanced successively by the conveyor 9 to an elevator 82 which in its downward position is located flush with the conveyor way panel 77. The elevator 82 consists of a circular plate slightly larger than the bottom'of the container and mounted on the top of a cylindrical elevator rod 83. The rod 83 projects downwardly through the top of the machine and is pivotally connected as at 84 (see Fig. l) to the forward end of a lever 85. The rear end of the lever is fixedly pivoted to the frame at 86 and a cam follower 87 on the lever is positioned to be actuated by a cam on the cross shaft 22 in timed relationship with the other elements of the machine.

Extending downwardly from the 'way panel 77 and angularly spaced around the elevator rod 83 are four screws 88 which serve as abutments and supports for the compression springs 89. The screws 88 also function as guides for the lower plate 90 of a frame-like carriage 91. The carriage 91 includes four upright bolts 92 which support an upper plate 93 in spaced relationship over the elevator 82. The upper plate 93 is provided with a central flanged opening 94 which closely receives and embraces the cartons as they are forced upwardly therethrough and is further provided with an annular ring 95 carrying a plurality of radially upwardly and inwardly tilted spring fingers 96. The fingers 96 thus overlie the opening 94 but are of such a springable nature as to be defiectable radially outwardly by the upper rim 2 of the container without damage to the rim.

The springs 89 which support the carriage 91 are of such a size and strength as to support the carriage and its lower plate 90 in fully raised position against the under side of the conveyor way plate 77. However, the lower plate 90 is provided with two or more pins 921 which project upwardly through the plate 77 and underneath the elevator 82 so that lowering motion of the elevator 82 forces the carriage downwardly against the springs 89. Initial upward movement of the elevator 82 thus permits concurrent upward motion of the carriage 91 to the limit of action of the springs 89. The filled container on the elevator thus moves upwardly in constant spaced relationship below the flanged opening 94 and the fingers 96 until the plate 90 is stopped by the plate 77 Continued upward motion of the elevator then forces the upper end of the container upwardly through the opening 94 and into the converging spring fingers 96.

Projecting horizontally across the vertical path of travel of the elevator 82 is a horizontal plate 97. The plate 97 carries a cover receiving socket plate 98 of a substantial thickness and both the plate 97 and socket plate 98 define a vertical socket opening 99 through which the cartons can be elevated by the elevator 82. The socket plate 98 has a laterally facing entrance opening 100 through which the covers 5 may be translated along the plate 97 by a shoe 101. The socket opening 99 in the socket plate 98 is desirably slightly larger in diameter than the diameter supporting lip 102. Thus covers fed through the side opening 100 in the plate 98 are frictionally and positively supported in downwardly opening position over the elevator 82 and cartons thereon. The plate 98 is supported at such a distance above the conveyor way plate 77 that the fingers 96 will project upwardly into the socket opening 99 when the carriage 91 is fully elevated. The shoe 101 is reciprocated by a lever 103 from the cam disc 26 so as to position a cover in the socket opening 99 prior to upward motion of the fingers 96. Thus the fingers 96 project into the downturned flange 6 of the cover to thread and guide the rim 2 of the container into the cover. Continued upward motion of the elevator 82 and container forces the cover upwardly through the socket opening and strips the spring fingers 96 downwardly from between the cover flange 6 and the carton rim 2.

After clearing the spring fingers 96 the carton is further elevated by the elevator 82 to tightly press the newly applied cover against the under side of stop or abutment plate 104 positioned over the cover socket opening. This provides a final tight sealing pressure between the container and the cover. The upper surface of the socket plate 98 is provided with an upstanding bracket 105 on which upwardly converging side plates 106 are yieldably mounted. As the newly covered container is pressed upwardly between these plates the plates spread sufiiciently to pass the cover and then snap together underneath the projecting rims of the cover and container to support the filled and covered container against the abutment 104. The shoe 101 which advances each new cover to the cover supporting socket is provided with an upstanding bracket 107 and the bracket 107 carries a forwardly projecting arm 108 with a container discharging head 109 on its forward end. The head 109 functions to push or off-feed each filled and covered container from the plates 106 as each succeeding cover is advanced to the coversupporting socket. The olf-feed cartons may be deposited on any type of loading table of off-feed conveyor and in the example illustrated I have shown the machine to be provided with a gravity feed chute 1110 leading to a loading or handling table 111 (see Fig. 2 1

Cover sorting and feeding mechanism The structure for feeding covers in the correct down'e wardly facing position to the capping mechanism is most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. As was previously stated the covers are dumped in irregular jumbled relation into the hopper 14 from where they may descend in irregular fashion through the chute 15. In order to prevent jamming of the covers in the chute 15 I have provided a pair of rotating belts 112 having'their upwardly moving reaches disposed along two sides of the chute 15. Belts of this type are a common expedient to prevent jamming and can be driven in an convenient manner. The covers descend through the chute 15 and are directed through a funneled opening 113 in the rear side of a generally cylindrical casing 114 and-into the open rear end of a horizontal rotating drum. 115. The interior of the drum 115 is provided with a series of spirally arranged ribs 116 which are angularly in clined downwardly toward the forward end of the drum on the upwardly moving side of the drum so that as covers are picked up from the bottom of the drum by the ribs 116 the covers will tend to roll along the ribs to the forward end of the drum. The forward end of the drum 115 is substantially closed by the fixed front wall- 117 of the housing 114. Projecting axially into the drum from the wall 117 is an arcuated guard plate 118 which is positioned in spaced relationship inwardly from the upwardly moving side of the drum as is best illustrated in Fig. 5. The plate 118 serves to prevent covers which are elevated by the ribs 116 from falling downwardly into the interior of the drum until they have been carried across the upper end of the plate 118.- The upper end of the plate 118 is provided with a downwardly turned,- tapered end 119 so that covers which reach the top of guard plate in a downwardly opening position as is illustrated at 120 in Fig.- Swill fall downwardly over the tapered tip 119 and be discharged into a chute 121 projecting inwardly beneath the upper end of the guard plate. A guard or reject plate 122 secured to the plate 117 extends into the drum with its upper edge in closely spaced relationship to the downturned end 119 of the guard plate so that any cover which reaches-the top of the guard plate in inverted or upward opening position will be held horizontally by engagement of the cover with the tapered tip 119 until the cover is advanced over the reject plate as indicated by the dotted lines at 123 in Fig. 5. Thus improperly oriented covers will be returned to the bottom of the drum and recirculated until they areadvanced in the correct position. The drum 115 has gear teeth 38A around its periphery coacting with the gear 38 to drive the drum. The chute 121 which receives the sorted and oriented covers delivers downwardly and forwardly. to the friction drive elevator 17. This elevator is of old, wellknown construction and consists of a guideway 124 with an upwardly moving belt 125 along one edge thereof. The belt is frictionally held against the sides of the covers by weighted rollers 126 swingably mounted on the levers 127 so that the covers roll upwardly through the guide- -way 124 and are delivered into the previously described spiral feed chute 18. i f

Various controls and limit switches may be applied to the machine to provide varied degrees of automatic operation. By way of example, a limit switch 128 may be positioned on the inclined spiral chute 18 to be actuated by incoming covers 2. If this switch 128 is wired into the power circuit of the motor '19 thc, machine may be made to shut down automatically at any time that the supply of covers ceases or becomes insufiicient .to complete the capping of cartons already filled. The particular arrangement of these controls forms no part of this invention and s0 is not described in great detail.

Having. thn descrlbed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for filling truncated conical cartons having a cylindrical upper rim and capping said cartons with circular covers having depending cylindrical flanges, means for translating cartons past a filling station to a capping station in upright position, a verticallyreciprocable elevator positioned to receive said cartons individually from said translating. means and move said cartons upwardly through a distance greater than the height of the cartons, a fixed socket plate positioned along the path of travel of said elevator and forming a circular' socket opening through which said cartons are translated, said socketplate having a lateral side opening to said socket opening, reciprocable means for introduc'; ing a cover into said socket opening through said lateral o ening in downwardly opening position, said socket opening having acover supporting lip around the bottom thereof and being slightly smaller than said covers to support said covers, a carriage vertically'rec'iprocably and yieldably supported below said socket plate, an annu' lar ring carried by said carriage and aligned with and positioned between said elevator and said socket opening and adapted to have cartons. advanced therethrough, upwardly and inwardly inclined spring fingers mounted around the upper edge of said ring and positioned to extend into said socket opening and a cover therein in the raised position of said carriage, carriage depressing pins extending upwardly from the lower portion of said carriage and engag'eable with an under surface of said elevator to depress said carriage and ring in the lowered position of said elevator, 21 fixed abutment plate mounted in spaced relationship above said socket plate by a distan'ce greater than the height of the said containers and adapted to have a covered carton pressed thereagainst in the fully elevated position of said elevator, laterally swingable support means located between said socket plate and said abutment plate on opposite sides of said socket opening and biased toward each other to engage the under edge of a cover pressed against said abutment, and an ejector reciprocable with said cover introducing means to engage and push a cover and the carton which it is attached to from between said laterally swingable supporting means and said abutment.

2. In a machine for filling truncated conical cartons having a cylindrical uppe'r rim and capping said cartons with circular covers having depending cylindrical flanges, means for translating cartons past a filling station to a capping station in upright position, a vertically reciprocable elevator positioned to receive said carton individually from said translating means and move said cartons upwardly through a distance greater than the height of the cartons, a fixed socket .plate .positio'ned'along the path of travel ofsaid elevator and forming a circular socket opening through which'said "carto ns a're translated, said socket plate having 'a lateral sideopening to said socket opening, reciprocable means for introducing a cover into said socket opening through said lateral opening in downwardly opening position, said socket opening having a cover supporting lip around the bottom thereof to support said covers, a carriage vertically reciprocably and yieldably supported below said socket plate, an annular ring'fcarried by said carriage and aligned with and positioned between said elevator and said socket opening and adapted to have cartons advanced therethrough, upwardly and inwardly. inclined yieldable fingers mounted around the upper edge of said ring and positioned to extend into said socket opening and a cover therein in the raised position of said carriage, carriage depressing means engageable between said carriage and an under surface of said elevator to depress said carriage and ring in the lowered position of said elevator, a fixed abutment plate mounted in spaced rela tionship above said socketplate by a distance greater than the height of said containers and adapted to have a covered carton pressed thereagainst in the fully elevated position of said elevator, laterally yieldable support means located between said socket plate and said abutment plate on opposite sides of said socket opening and biased toward each other to engage the under edge of a cover pressed against said abutment, and an ejector reciprocable to engage and push a cover and the carton to which it is attached from between said laterally swingable supporting means and said abutment.

3. In a machine for filling cartons having a cylindrical upper rim and capping said cartons with circular covers having depending cylindrical flanges, means for translating cartons past a filling station to a capping station in upright position, a vertically reciprocable elevator positioned to receive said cartons individually from said translating means and move said cartons upwardly through a distance greater than the height of the cartons, a fixed socket plate positioned along the path of travel of said elevator and forming a circular socket opening through which said cartons are translated by said elevator, means for introducing a cover into said socket opening in downwardly opening position, said socket opening being slightly smaller than said covers to support said covers, a carriage vertically reciprocable and yieldably supported below said socket plate, an annular ring carried by said carriage and aligned with and positioned between said elevator and said socket opening and adapted to have cartons advanced therethrough, a fixed stop coacting with said carriage in its raised position, upwardly and inwardly inclined yieldable fingers mounted around the upper edge of said ring and positioned to extend into said socket opening and a cover therein in the raised position of said carriage, carriage depressing means to depress said carriage and ring in the lowered position of said elevator, a fixed abutment mounted in spaced relationship above said socket plate by a distance greater than the height of said containers and adapted to have a covered carton pressed thereagainst in the fully elevated position of said elevator, carton support means located between said socket plate and said abutment and operative independently of said elevator to support a carton after it has been pressed against said abutment, and means for removing the carton supported by said carton supporting means.

4. In a machine for filling cartons having an upper rim and capping said cartons with circular covers having depending flanges, means for translating cartons past a filling station to a capping station in upright position, vertically reciprocable elevator positioned to receive said cartons individually from said translating means and move said cartons upwardly through a distance greater than the height of the cartons, a fixed socket plate positioned along the path of travel of said elevator and forming a circular socket opening through which said cartons are translated by said elevator, means for introducing a cover into said socket opening in downwardly opening position, said socket opening being adapted to support said covers, a carriage vertically reciprocably supported below said socket plate, a fixed stop coacting with said carriage in its raised position, an annular ring carried by said carriage and aligned with and positioned between said elevator and said socket opening and adapted to have cartons advanced therethrough, upwardly and inwardly inclined yieldable fingers mounted around the upper edge of said ring and positioned to extend into said socket opening and a cover therein in the raised position of said carriage, carriage depressing means operative to depress said carriage and ring in the lowered position of said elevator, a fixed abutment mounted in spaced relationship above said socket plate by a distance greater than the height of said containers and adapted to have covered carton pressed thereagainst in the fully elevated position of said elevator, carton support means located between said socket plate and said abutment and operative independently of said elevator to support a carton after it has been pressed against said abutment, and means for removing the carton supported by said carton supporting means.

5. In a machine for capping circular cartons with cir cular covers having depending cylindrical flanges, means for translating cartons to a capping station in upright position, a vertically reciprocable elevator positioned to receive said cartons individually from said translating means and move said cartons upwardly through a distance greater than the height of the cartons, a fixed socket plate positioned along the path of travel of said elevator and forming a socket opening through which said cartons are translated by said elevator, means for introducing a cover into said socket opening in downwardly opening position, said socket plate having means to support said covers in said opening, a carriage vertically reciprocably supported below said socket plate, a fixed stop coacting with said carriage in its raised position, an annular ring carried by said carriage and aligned with and positioned between said elevator and said socket opening and adapted to have cartons advanced therethrough, upwardly and inwardly inclined spring fingers mounted around the upper edge of said ring and positioned to extend into said socket opening and a cover therein in the raised position of said carriage, carriage retracting means operative to depress said carriage and ring in the lowered position of said elevator, and a fixed abutment mounted in spaced relationship above said socket plate by a distance greater than the height of said containers and adapted to have a covered carton pressed thereagainst in the fully elevated position of said elevator.

6. In a machine for capping cartons with circular covers having depending cylindrical flanges, means for translating cartons to a capping station, a reciprocable element positioned to receive said cartons individually from said translating means and move said cartons endwise through a distance greater than the height of the cartons, a fixed socket plate positioned along the path of travel of said element and forming a socket opening through which said cartons are translated by said element, means for introducing a cover into said socket opening in facing relation to said carton, said socket plate having means to support said covers in said opening, a carriage reciprocably supported adjacent said socket plate, a fixed stop coacting with said carriage in its advanced position, an annular ring carried by said carriage and aligned with and positioned between said element and said socket opening and adapted to have cartons advanced therethrough, in wardly inclined spring fingers mounted around the edge of said ring and positioned to extend into said socket opening and a cover therein in the advanced position of said carriage, carriage retracting means operative to retract said earriage and ring in the retracted position of said element, and a fixed abutment mounted in spaced relationship to said socket plate by a distance greater than the height of said containers and adapted to have a covered carton pressed thereagainst in the fully extended position of said element.

7. Mechanism for applying downwardly cylindrically flanged covers to the tops of cartons having cylindrical upper rims comprising, a fixed socket plate defining a socket opening therethrough, said opening having a semicircular side slightly smaller than said covers and with a cover supporting lip around the lower edge thereof, said socket plate forming a lateral entrance throat through which covers may be translated into said socket opening, a reciprocating member arranged to advance cartons individually and in endwise direction through said socket opening, a second reciprocating member arranged to translate a cover in edgewise position through said throat into said socket opening, a ring yieldably and vertically moveably supported below said socket plate and aligned with the socket opening therein, a fixed stop coacting with said ring in its raised position inwardly and upwardly inclined threading fingers of thin flexible material carried by said ring and arranged to project into a cover in said socket opening in the raised position of said ring, means including a push pin engageable between said first reciprocating member and said ring for depressing said ring and fingers from said socket plate in the retracted position of said first reciprocating member, carton supporting means positioned above said socket plate to support covered cartons advanced through said socket plate, and carton ejecting means for removing said covered cartons from said supporting means, said reciprocating members and said ejector being operated in timed relationship.

8. Mechanism for applying downwardly cylindrically flanged covers to the tops of cartons having cylindrical upper rims comprising, a fixed socket plate defining a socket opening therethrough, said opening having a semicircular side slightly smaller than said covers and with a cover supporting lip around the lower edge thereof, said socket plate forming a lateral entrance throat through which covers may be translated into said socket opening, a reciprocating member arranged to advance cartons individually and in endwise direction through said socket opening, a second reciprocating member arranged to translate a cover in edgewise position through said throat into said socket opening, a ring yieldably and vertically moveably supported below said socket plate and aligned with the socket opening therein, a fixed stop coacting with said ring in its raised position inwardly and upwardly inclined threading fingers of thin flexible material carried by said ring and arranged to project into a cover in said socket opening in the raised position of said ring, means for depressing said ring and fingers from said socket plate in the retracted position of said first reciprocating member, carton supporting means positioned above said socket plate to support covered cartons advanced through said socket plate, and carton ejecting means for removing said covered cartons from said supporting means.

9. Mechanism for applying downwardly flanged covers to the tops of cartons having upper rims comprising, a fixed socket plate defining a socket opening therethrough, said opening having a semicircular side slightly smaller than said covers to compressingly retain a cover, means for introducing a cover into said socket opening, a reciprocating member arranged to advance cartons individually and in endwise direction through said socket opening, a ring yieldably moveably supported adjacent said socket plate and aligned with the socket opening therein, a fixed stop coacting with said ring in its raised position inwardly inclined and annularly arranged yieldable threading means carried by said ring and arranged to project part Way into but below the top of a cover in said socket opening in the advanced position of said ring, means operated in timed relationship with said reciprocating member for retracting said ring and fingers from said socket plate in the retracted position of said reciprocating member, and an abutment positioned on the opposite side of said socket plate from said ring against which covered cartons advanced through said socket plate are pressed by said reciprocating member.

10. Mechanism for applying downwardly flanged covers to the tops of cartons having upper rims comprising, a fixed socket plate defining a socket opening therethrough, said opening having a semicircular side slightly smaller than said covers to compressingly retain a cover, means for introducing a cover into said socket opening, a reciprocating member arranged to advance cartons individually and in endwise direction through said socket opening, a ring movably supported adjacent said socket plate and aligned with the socket opening therein, a fixed stop coacting with said ring in its advanced position, inwardly inclined and annularly arranged yieldable means carried by said ring and arranged to project into a cover in said socket opening in the advanced position of said ring, and means operated in timed relationship with said reciprocating member for retracting said ring and fingers from said socket plate in the retracted position of said reciprocating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,288 Fulenwelder Sept. 26, 1905 1,009,658 Elis et a1 a- Nov. 21, 1911 1,042,922 Johnson Oct. 29, 1912 1,086,429 Wetmore Feb. 10, 1914 1,137,820 Westlake May 4, 1915 1,511,966 Hewit Oct. 14, 1924 1,629,599 Tevander May 24, 1927 1,731,600 Turner Oct. 15, 1929 1,789,857 Babbitt et al. Jan. 20, 1931 1,980,792 Eubank Nov. 13, 1934 1,986,505 Fischer Jan. 1, 1935 2,284,740 Huston June 2, 1942 2,361,948 Krueger Nov. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 189,378 Switzerland May 1, 1937 

